We Live in Our Own Unique Olfactory World

Charles J. Wysocki, Ph.D., an NIDCD-supported researcher at the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, is investigating genetic differences in smell perception. It is known that people perceive scents differently.

Andreas Keller, a geneticist at the Rockefeller University says, "Everybody's olfactory world is unique, private world. Our uniqueness includes we all have an olfactory "blind spot."

What is a "Pseudogene?"

As we adapt to our changing environment, our sense of smell has become less important. The 400 genes encoding our olfactory (smelling nerve endings) receptors began to accumulate mutations. After a number of mutations, it becomes a pseudogene notes geneticist Doron Lancet of Israel's Weizmann Institute of Science, meaning it no longer encodes a functioning receptor.

Therefore, we each smell differently because we have different combinations of pseudogenes. Doron Lancet says, "You end up with a bar code situation, whereby each individual has a slightly different bar code."

We humans have the capacity to smell up to 10,000 different odors, but for most of us, many of the genes controlling our sense of those smells have shut down business. We do not need the capacity anymore...

An example of our differing capacity to smell is our sensitivity to the smell of sweat. Some individuals have a heightened ability to pick up body odor. The scientists also found that women are more sensitive to many smells than men. Some other interesting facts: two million people in the US have no sense of smell at all and one in a thousand can't smell skunks.

Keller (Rockefeller University) asked 500 people to rate a panel of 68 odors for intensity and pleasantness, they gave the full range of responses. Some detected a "weak" odor, others detected the same odor as "intense."

Your "Smell" is Your "Fingerprint"

Enjoy your unique "smell fingerprint" and be aware others may smell sewage when you smell roses!

Everything in the cosmos is fractal, repeats on many scales, and is continuously evolving. Each and every system in the universe continuously evolves within the total universal evolution and all the systems' evolutions...

Comments 8 comments

Try telling a person who suffers Hay Fever that a flower smells beautiful.

dallas93444 5 years ago from Bakersfield, CA Author

Our reality is our perception!

Thanks for the comments.

Docmo 5 years ago from UK

So just like the 'beauty is in the eye of the beholder' 'perfume is in the nose of the be-smeller'?' Good thought and backed by research too .

dallas93444 5 years ago from Bakersfield, CA Author

Docmo,

Each of us are truly unique...

Thanks for your comments!

katiem2 5 years ago from I'm outta here

How cool, I once read a woman has a built in smell receptor that detects her perfect mate and once any female takes birth control it off sets her natural built in sense of smell designed to make her desire her perfect mate. Hmmmm the sense of smell is a vital key to happiness no doubt.

I enjoyed your why do I smell flowers you smell urine or sewage. Very interesting and thought provoking.

:) Katie

dallas93444 5 years ago from Bakersfield, CA Author

katiem2,

When we "taste" an onion, we really are smelling the oils in an onion. If our nose is blocked from smelling an onion when we taste one, if blindfolded, we would guess we are eating an apple...

Our smells assist in selecting our mates. Mates can select their spouse's same clothes from a pile of same clothes worn by others by the distinct smell of their mate.

Pheremones play a significant part of being attracted to another person...